To Soften A Yokou
by Yoru no Kuronue
Summary: Yokou Kurama is known for being cold and ruthless. Then one day he rescues a wolf-demon from her abusive father. Kaiyuko is tough, beautiful, and everything Yokou wants. She finds herself in love with Yokou, but can he bring himself to love her?


To Soften A Youko  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, but I do own Kaiyuko..and her father too but he's not around very long (evil snicker).  
  
Yokou Kurama's golden eyes stared out into the sunrise. His silver hair blew out behind him in the wind. His kitsune's ears that marked him so clearly as a yokou perked up as he heard footsteps. His second-in-command, Yomi, appeared.  
"Yokou, we've got the next target," he said nonchalantly. Yokou turned his cold gaze on Yomi.  
"Where?"  
"A half day north. Some rich youken and his daughter. I hear the daughter's quite the catch." Yokou rolled his eyes. Trust Yomi to think of that.  
"Wolf-demons, eh? Should be interesting. Tell the others to pack up, and let's move."  
Yokou was the leader of a pack of yokai bandits. They were never in the same place for very long, to reduce the chances of getting caught. Not that that was ever a problem. It was just common sense. Yokou had undisputed leadership. No one dared challenge him. His mastery of plants was overwhelming. He was powerful, handsome, and ruthless. Desirable, yes, but hardly anyone ever lived to find out if 'desirable' was really the right word. He turned his eyes to the north. They would be there by noon.  
  
Kaiyuko Kahabishi had locked herself up in her room. Her father had been beating her again. He had done that all the time since her mother had died by his hand. He tried to say it was an accident, and since he was so powerful socially, no one contradicted him. Kaiyuko was the only one who knew the truth, so her father kept her quiet through the fear that she would have the same fate as her rebellious mother. She hated her father, but was made to show that she loved him. She wished he would just die. Preferably by her sword.  
  
Yokou marched at the head of his bandits. They were almost there. He could see the turrets of the mansion they were headed for. He licked his lips in anticipation. He loved killing and robbing. Yomi whispered in his ear.  
"We should stop here." Yokou nodded, and Yomi gave the signal. The bandits stopped, and drew thier weapons. Yokou sent two to scout ahead. They came back smiling.  
"Sir, there's enough in there to make you drool. The girl's locked up in her room, and the dad's in his study. The servants are everywhere. Should be easy," one reported. Yokou smiled.  
"Go." The bandits charged.  
  
Kaiyuko heard the sounds of battle below her room. She didn't dare open her door. She knew they'd get here sooner or later anyway. She was right. In a few minutes, her door was forced open, and a handsome yokou stood there. His golden eyes took in the gorgeous youken before him: golden, wavy hair down to her knees, eyes gold on the outside, green in the middle, ears and tail as black as night. She in turn studied the incredibly handsome yokou, taking in his eyes and hair, his ears and tail. She stood, and drew her sword. The yokou laughed.  
"Save it, girly. I don't want to kill you. I want you to tell me where your treasure is." Kaiyuko knew this was her chance.  
"I'll tell you if you promise me two things." Yokou eyed her critically.  
"Are you really in a position to--" She cut him off.  
"Just listen. I'll tell you if you leave my father to me, and take me with you." Yokou was in shock--and admiration for the spunky girl in front of him.  
"Your father, sure. If I like the way you handle that, I'll take you with me. Treasure?" Kaiyuko smiled.  
"I'll show you after I deal with my father," she replied. Yokou stood aside, letting her through the door. She brushed past him and went downstairs. The bandits gaped at her, but she ignored them. She went to where Yomi was menacing her father with a sword. Yokou was right behind her. She walked right up to Yomi and shoved him out of the way. Yomi looked at Yokou, who shook his head. Yomi stepped out of Kaiyuko's way, mystified. Kaiyuko held her sword to her father's throat.  
"Hey daddy," she growled. Her father gulped, "You know what's gonna happen don't you?"  
"D-d-daughter, what do you mean?" he asked, trembling. Kaiyuko smiled. It was not a nice smile.  
"Think about what you've done to me over the past years. You killed my mother, beat me, and at the same time pretended like you were innocent."  
"D-d-d-dear, y-y-you know that if th-th-the people knew, they would have killed me!" Her father was getting more terrified by the second.  
"YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" yelled Kaiyuko. The bandits were all speechless, watching it all. Kaiyuko pressed until she was indenting the skin. Tears were rolling down her face.  
"B-b-but..." Kaiyuko shook her head.  
"You know I'm going to kill you, right?" she asked menacingly. Her father tried to run, but she backed him against a wall. He tried to plead with her.  
"P-p-please, you're my daughter, you can't..."  
"I can, and I'm about to," Kaiyuko said. She shoved her sword into his throat. The bandits gasped as the youken fell, gurgling his life away, to the floor. Kaiyuko stood over him, letting his blood flow over the floor, crying. Yokou stood for a moment, then went to her.  
"Our deal, then?" he said coldly. Kaiyuko nodded, and led him to a picture on the wall. She pointed to it, and left the room. Yokou reached for the painting, but something stopped him. Part of him wanted to follow the girl, part wanted the treasure. He sighed, and turned to Yomi.  
"It's behind the painting. Get it. I'll return shortly," he ordered, and followed Kaiyuko. He found her curled up on a couch, shaking with sobs. He knelt on the floor in front of her face, which was covered by her arms. He gently took her arms away so he could look into her strangly beautiful eyes.  
"You know, if killing makes you so miserable, you'll make an awful bandit," he said. Kaiyuko turned over.  
"It wasn't the killing. I've wanted to do that since I was very young. It was the memories, is all. But if I hadn't killed him, they would have gone on and on," she said. Yokou sighed. He hated this feeling of tenderness he had toward the girl.  
"What's your name?" he asked shortly.  
"Kaiyuko Kahabishi. Yours?" she replied, equally as short.  
"Yokou Kurama. Known by members of my pack as just Yokou. Do you go by Kaiyuko or Kahabishi?" Kaiyuko turned to face him again, hope shining in her eyes.  
"Kaiyuko." Yokou stood.  
"You can come with us. I like you. You're ruthless and powerful. I can sense Spirit Energy, and yours is very strong. You have great potential if we can find out what your power is."  
"Weapons." Yokou stopped.  
"Weapons?"  
"Any weapon I've ever tried, I've mastered in a very short time. I think my power is weapons. You'll train me?" Yokou thought.  
"Yes. You'll be very useful. That's the only way you'll survive around our band. Come. The others are waiting." He held out a hand to her, and she took it. He helped her up, and led her to the bandit family.  
  
Kaiyuko had never been so happy. Yokou and his bandits were like a new family. She got along well with everyone. Yokou began to train her almost as soon as they got to the new camp. She already knew how to use a sword, but Yokou trained her in archery, the naginata, and the staff. She, like she said, had mastered each in the course of either a few hours or a few days. Kaiyuko began to have a pattern in her life: In the mornings she woke at dawn and had lessons, then ate, then more lessons, ate, and so on. Yokou was an excellent teacher, but if someone was better at a weapon than him, he sent his student to them instead. Yomi taught her to use a whip as a weapon, and a young yokou named Hath taught her how to use a katana. Yokou also taught her martial arts. She had a gift for that as well.  
The only disturbing thing about her life was her attraction to Yokou. She didn't want to love him; he was too cold to return her feelings. But as the months went by, she felt herself slipping into love for the handsome Yokou Kurama. He never noticed, not even when she started to avoid him so as to keep it more of a secret. He just went after her to make her focus on lessons. Finally, he was sick of chasing her.  
"Kaiyuko, what is wrong with you? I always have to come and find you for lessons, and you always try and make an excuse to not come. But only if I'm the one teaching you. Tell me what kind of problem you have with me!" he demanded after cornering her one day. He was expecting an angry retort, something along the lines of, 'I'm not avoiding you you baka kitsune!' He wasn't expecting for her to look at the ground as though ashamed, and he wasn't expecting to hear what she actually said.  
"I love you." Yokou stared at her. She kept her eyes on the ground.  
"What?"  
"I love you. I avoided you so you wouldn't know." Yokou reeled.  
"You love me? You can't love me! I don't want you to love me!" She looked at him, and he was startled to see tears falling from her eyes.  
"You baka kitsune! (A/N Well, she said it.) I don't want to love you! I never did! I don't want to because you're cold and ruthless and you'll never love anyone ever!" Yokou couldn't believe it. He never would have thought...  
"I'm sorry, Kaiyuko." His calm, almost sad, tone surprised him as much as it did her. "You're right. I am cold and ruthless, and I don't love anyone. I never will. Not even someone as perfect as you. I can't. I can't love. I didn't even love my family. They hurt me because they thought love was a weakness. It is a weakness, and for this family, this pack, I have to be strong. I can't afford weakness, Kaiyuko. I'm sorry." He turned, but was surprised to feel her arms around him.  
"Yokou, love is a strength, not a weakness. It can hurt, or it can heal. And it has healed me. Love works in all kinds of different ways. I love you, and all of these bandits. You love them, I know, and you love me, if not in the same way I do you." Yokou turned so he was holding her around the waist.  
"I wasn't lying when I said you were perfect. But I can't, Kaiyuko." To his surprise, she smiled.  
"I wasn't trying to make you," she replied softly, pulled out of his arms, and walked away.  
  
Yokou lay on his sleeping mat. He couldn't sleep, not with all of his tormenting feelings. He no longer knew how he felt for his student. He had always felt different around her, almost happy, but was that love? He had no idea. He had loved the feeling of her in his arms for that brief moment, and wanted to hold her again. He had rescued her, allowed her to live, because when he'd first seen her, he'd felt an emotion that he'd never felt before, and been curious.  
He turned over. His family had always beaten him if he ever showed love for them. So he'd quit loving them, and vowed never to love again. Was he willing to break that vow...for the girl who had loved him even though she knew what he was truly like?  
He had made up his mind. He got out of bed, and left his tent. He went to Kaiyuko's tent. He lifted the flap to see her asleep. His breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful...her hair spread around her like a frame of gold, her ears twitching every so often. He went to her sleeping mat, and knelt down beside her. Her nose twitched, and she opened her eyes. He felt as though he were falling into thier strange beauty.  
"Yokou?" she mumbled. He lay next to her.  
"Kai-chan," that was new, "I wanted to apologize for earlier. I was inconsiderate." Kaiyuko smiled.  
"Mmmm. You said what you had to say." Yokou shook his head, accidentally making his silver hair mingle with her golden cascade. He liked the way that looked.  
"I was stupid. Please give me another chance."  
"Another chance to what?" She was confused.  
"Another chance to say what I need to say." Kaiyuko turned over and faced him head on, her gold-on-green eyes meeting his golden orbs. He took a deep breath.  
"I don't know how to say what I'm feeling. I have no idea if it's love, but...but I'd like it to be. Does that make any sense at all?" Kaiyuko laughed.  
"No. But it doesn't matter." Yokou tried to put an arm around her, but she reached up hers and stopped him.  
"One question first. Do you think you can honestly love me, Yokou?" Yokou, using strength over hers, rolled so that he was on all fours, his face inches from Kaiyuko's. She gazed into his eyes, then he leaned down, and kissed her, slowly, almost teasingly, before slipping his tongue in and letting it roam her mouth. She closed her eyes. Yokou broke off and smiled at her.  
"I don't know, but I'll sure as hell try."  
  
Kaiyuko now knew the meaning of happiness. During the day, Yokou was her tutor, nothing more, though he tutored her with many more close exercises, in which he got to show her what to do by holding her and doing it with her. At night, they were lovers, Yokou coming to her tent every night. It was one such night, weeks after she admitted her love, that they lay, Yokou shirtless and Kaiyuko with only her undergarments (A/N Could be worse). Yokou held her, and she slept with her back against his bare chest. Yokou lay awake, wondering what to say. He knew that he had never told Kaiyuko that he loved her, because he wasn't sure, but it was nights like these that he was sure, sure of his undying devotion to his youken koibito. He turned her over and kissed her awake. She gazed at him, swatting him playfully.  
"What'd you wake me up for, baka kitsune?" she asked, smiling. He got on his all fours position on top of her, where his face wasn't far from hers.  
"I need to tell you something."  
"Okay." He stared into her eyes.  
"A few weeks ago, I wasn't sure if I loved you. I wondered for a while if I just wanted your beauty. But now I know; I don't just want that. If I did, I would have taken shameless advantage of you a long time ago. But, Kaiyuko, I need you to know that I do love you." Kaiyuko smiled at her koibito.  
"I know, Yokou. I was just waiting for you to know it too."  
  
Later that evening, Yomi went to look for Yokou in his tent. Knowing from past experience that the fierce kitsune often slept shirtless and so hated to be barged in upon, Yomi tapped on the flap of Yokou's tent.  
"Yokou?" No answer. Yomi was confused, and peeked inside. Not seeing his leader there, he walked around camp, looking for him. He looked inside every tent except Kaiyuko's, since she was the only female and it didn't feel right. But he listened hard for any sign that Yokou was in there. He heard it seconds later.  
"Koibito, wake up," came Yokou's voice. Yomi heard rustling.  
"I'm awake." Kaiyuko. Yomi left, a smile hovering at his lips. It was about time Yokou found someone.  
  
Yokou woke that morning, holding Kaiyuko. He smiled at the beautiful girl pressed up lovingly against him. He rose quietly to go back to his tent before the bandits caught them; he still wasn't sure what they'd do. Kaiyuko opened her eyes and sat up.  
"Leaving already, Yokou?"  
"I have to be back in my tent, koi. I don't know what the others will think if they know I'm with you," Yokou replied. Kaiyuko sighed.  
"I wish you weren't so worried about that, Yokou."  
"I know, Kai-chan." He left the tent, slipping his shirt on. He saw Yomi sitting at a fire.  
"Any news, Yomi?" His second in command smiled at him.  
"Nah, except someone's got a little koi." Yokou stared at him.  
"How did you--"  
"I was looking for you last evening and heard you and Kaiyuko." Yokou sat next to his friend.  
"What do you think? Have I gone soft?" Yomi placed a hand gently on his leader's back.  
"Only for one person. That shouldn't hurt too bad. The only thing is, I think you should tell the others."  
"Why?"  
"It's wrong to be keeping this secret from them, Yokou." Yokou sighed.  
"I know. I'll tell them." And he did.  
  
The years went by; Yomi left the bandits, but Kaiyuko was there for Yokou. She became his second-in-command. Thier love had only strengthened in the past few years, and both knew that they were meant to be together forever. Yokou took to theiving in his yoko form, a small silver fox with red eyes. Sometimes, Kaiyuko went with him, a black wolf with her strange eyes and a golden mane. They loved to romp in the fields, and it was amusing because Kaiyuko's form was bigger than Yokou's. They were now in the same tent all the time, because it was known that they were lovers.  
One day, thier happiness was demolished. Yokou went thieving by himself, but Kaiyuko had a bad feeling about it.  
"Yokou, something's going to happen."  
"Don't worry. You're in charge while I'm gone. I'll be fine." Yeah, right. He gave her a kiss, then left. Kaiyuko stayed and watched him until he was out of sight. She worried that the feeling did not go away. She heard running footsteps. It was Hath.  
"Kaiyuko, there's a really good hunter on the loose and he's hunting Yokou!" Kaiyuko gasped.  
"No, Yokou..." She looked out into the empty horizon.  
  
Yokou ran until he came to a temple. He snuck in the door, and went to a box sitting on the table. He jumped up to it, and had almost gotten it open when a voice stopped him.  
"Hold it, Kurama." Yokou looked around, and saw a shadowy figure aiming something at him. Yokou hissed in retaliation. The man laughed.  
"Shoulda listened to your girlfriend. She was right." Yokou leaped out of a window and took off. He heard the blast, and knew it was too late. It hit him like a ton of bricks. He went flying. He knew he was about to die. A vision of Kaiyuko flashed past his eyes. Suddenly he remembered a spell he knew, and chanting it in his mind, he sent his battered and broken body to the Human World.  
  
15 years later  
  
Kaiyuko sat in her tent. She was the leader of the bandits now, since Yokou had been killed. She remembered when the news had been brought to her...  
Flashback  
"Kaiyuko?"  
"What is it, Hath?" Hath took a deep, shaky breath.  
"They got him. Yokou's dead without a trace. We got to the hunter right after he shot him, and he died laughing like a maniac. I'm sorry, Kaiyuko."  
End Flashback  
She left the room, going out to the last place she had seen Yokou. She wished with all her heart that he had heeded her warning.  
"Kaiyuko," came Hath's voice.  
"What?" She had gotten colder and sharper since Yokou had died. Hath flinched.  
"There's a really good treasure in the Human World that we just learned about. Would you like us to go get it?"  
"No." Her voice was cold, "I will."  
She swiftly changed into the wolf. Hath changed into a yoko, and led her to the portal.  
Go through here, and then go through the city into a building called Tokyo Tower. It's there. He told her through the speak of the yokai. He licked her ear, the traditional way of saying good luck among canine yokai, and left. She leaped through the portal.  
She landed on the roof of some building. She quickly changed into a human form, her eyes turning dark obsidian green and her ears and tail disappearing. Her clothes were modern, a white cropped tee and black pants. Kaiyuko checked to see that nobody was watching, then jumped off the roof. She landed, and started walking.  
Yusuke Urameshi walked down the street when his watch started beeping, meaning a yokai was around. The only person on the street was a girl with long blonde hair. Botan pointed at her.  
"That's the yokai I was telling you about!" she said. Yusuke peered at Kaiyuko.  
"She's hot. Do I have to--"  
"Yes!" Yusuke sighed.  
"Fine. Hey you! Stop!" Kaiyuko turned.  
"Can I help you?" she asked sarcastically. Yusuke walked up to her.  
"Surrender, yokai!" he said. She looked at him for a moment, then turned and kept walking. Yusuke stood with a sweatdrop for a second, then ran after her.  
"All right take this then!" he yelled, aiming a punch at her. She stopped without turning. To his surprise, when he got close enough, she whirled and caught his fist. She then grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm behind his back. Shoving forward, she slammed him into a wall. He crumpled. She started walking again. Yusuke stood shakily. Botan came up to him.  
"Use your Rei-gun!" she said. He took aim and fired. He hit something! But when the smoke cleared, he saw that he had hit a mailbox. Kaiyuko was nowhere to be seen.  
"Nice," came a voice above Yusuke. He looked up to see Kaiyuko sitting lazily on a lamppost. She jumped down and was at his eye level.  
"Leave. Me. Alone," she said, impacting each word. Then she turned again, but Yusuke lunged at her. She parried, and the real fight began. They kicked and punched, Kaiyuko toying with him until she saw the right opening. She had no desire to kill this pathetic human. She saw her opening and took it; leaping and wrapping her leg around Yusuke's neck, turning him, she used her other foot to kick him face-first into the wall. Then she leaped away. Yusuke was unconcious. Botan knelt next to him and watched the yokai leap away.  
"Botan!" She looked up to see a red-haired boy running toward her.  
"Kurama!" she yelped.  
"I sensed the Spirit Energy! What happened?"  
"She was too strong for Yusuke. Her fighting skills were fabulous. She wrapped her leg around his neck..." Kurama's eyes widened and he held up a hand.  
"And slammed Yusuke into something, right?" Botan stared at him.  
"Uhhh, yeah." Kurama knew that move well. It was her signature move.  
"Which way did she go? Botan, tell me!" Botan pointed, and Kurama sped off.  
Kaiyuko was walking again. She could see Tokyo Tower. She heard running footsteps, but didn't stop. Then she heard it.  
"KAI-CHAN!" She stopped. Only one person had ever called her that. A tear slid down her cheek.  
"Y-Yokou?" she said, and turned. She saw a red-haired boy, nothing like her Yokou, yet she knew it was him.  
"YOKOU!" she cried, and ran into Kurama's arms. Yusuke and Botan came up at the next moment to see Kurama holding the yokai girl. For just a second, they saw a silver-haired man with fox-ears and tail holding a girl with black wolf ears and tail. Then the image was gone, but the message was the same. Yokou Kurama and Kaiyuko Kahabishi were together again. This time, though, they would never part. 


End file.
